New town entry signage and revitalised entrances to welcome us home

It will be out with the old and in with the new for Tara, when the town receives its Town Entry Signs in July. Council’s Spokesperson for Community and Cultural Development Cr Kaye Maguire is excited about locals being welcomed home with a new town sign and followed by complementary landscaping later in the year.

Nine towns across the Western Downs are set to give residents and visitors alike a special welcome home with new town entry signs to be installed from July as part of Council’s continued commitment to town beautification and liveability.

Stage One of Council’s Town Entry Signage Project will see Bell, Dalby, Glenmorgan, Jandowae, Kaimkillenbun, Macalister, Tara, Wandoan, and Warra receive new town entry signs that will be rolled out from July;

$340,000 has been allocated in Council’s 2017/18 Budget for Stage 2 of the project;

Council has also successfully secured State Government funding under the Works for Queensland program that will see the expansion of its Town Revitalisation Program, including the landscaping of town entrance avenues in Dalby, Tara and Wandoan, as well as the upgrade of Tara’s town centre.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Jackie Trad said through the Palaszczuk Government’s Works for Queensland program the Western Downs was getting both jobs and local infrastructure.

“These are the kind of great community infrastructure projects that Works for Queensland is making possible right across the state, delivering jobs and stimulating the local economy,” Ms Trad said.

“Western Downs Regional Council alone has received $2.6 million from the Palaszczuk Government through this program to deliver nine projects and I’m advised by Council that they’ve been able to employ 98 local people as a direct result of this funding.”

Council Spokesperson for Community and Cultural Development Councillor Kaye Maguire said the amenity of our town entrances was important to promoting town pride and a united regional identity.

“Now that we have critical infrastructure in place, it’s time to turn our attention to beautifying our town entrances and celebrating the pride we feel for our home towns,” she said.

“As a Council we strive to govern as one region while still honouring the personality and community spirit of our towns and smaller communities.

“Our Community team have worked with local Chambers and key community representatives in all nine towns to create unique identifiers that reflect what each community is especially proud of.”

In addition to the Town Entry Signage project, Council received funding under the Works for Queensland program and will continue its broader Town Revitalisation Program with landscaping upgrades to town entrances in Dalby, Tara and Wandoan, as well as refurbishment of Tara’s town centre.

“The Works for Queensland funding provides us the opportunity to upgrade existing infrastructure across the region. We’re excited to complement our new town entry signs with tree planting and garden landscaping in Dalby, Tara and Wandoan,” she said.

“Tara’s town centre will also be upgraded under the funding with the addition of new street furniture, streetscaping and the creation of a market square.

“These projects are all about welcoming residents and visitors to local communities that reflect our regional pride.”

The Town Revitalisation Program under the 2017/18 Capital Works Program is an initiative of Western Downs Regional Council and the Queensland Government.